The True Hero
by Namine witch
Summary: Cloud tells Lightning about true hero. Set post DoC and during XIII, pre-relationship, rated for light language.


**AN: I'm slowpoke when it comes to updates and writing, heh. Still, I hope you enjoy this, I didn't write this pair in a while.**

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"Heroes never die!" as Snow repeated that line again in response to the berating from someone in their group just after they escaped danger, Cloud had enough.

"Shut up, Snow," he snapped at the other blond, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. This was the first time since the start of their journey together that they saw Cloud lose his cool, even Lightning, and she knew him longest.

"What?" was Snow's smart reply.

"I said shut up. I'm tired of your 'heroes never die' bullshit."

"It's not—"NORA leader tried to protest, but Cloud cut him off.

"It is! Heroes are not invincible or immortal, they're still people, and they die, protecting people and what they believe in. They die quietly, surrounded by friends, "the spiky blond closed his eyes as images of Aerith's still body in the Temple of the Ancients and Zack laying on a cliff, bloody and dying, and _so _close to Midgar, flashed behind his eyelids, forever burned into his memory. He opened his eyes again and met Snow's gaze, "And rarely with fanfare, if ever. If you think otherwise, then you're moron and pathetic parody of a hero."

With these words, the young man stormed off, leaving his stunned companions behind. He needed to cool off before he continued their journey with Snow.

Lightning recovered first from the stupor that overcame everyone after her friend's outburst, and broke the silence.

"Great job, Show," she said sarcastically to her so-called future brother-in-law and went after Cloud, knowing he wouldn't find her presence abrasive right now.

The older Farron sister found Cloud sitting on the ground not very far from their group, and looking in the distance, probably lost in his thoughts. Lightning approached him and sat down next to him. For a few minutes, they were silent when Claire broke it.

"I'm sorry about Snow," she apologized. "He's an idiot, so he often doesn't know how his words affect others."

"I know he's idiot," the blond replied. "It's just…"

"He hit a sore spot," the young woman finished for him.

"Yeah. "

"You can tell me what it is if you want. " Claire suggested, letting the blonde decide.

Cloud thought about it. Out of everyone in their group, he knew Light longest, knew she would understand, would keep this a secret, regardless of him asking to or not, and wouldn't push if refused to tell her due to their similar personalities, which were the reason they got along so well and one of the reasons Cloud was in love with her.

Finally, he decided.

"When I was a teenager, I met this guy…"

He told her about Zack and the events that led to his death: about their escape from captivity — that he could remember of it, anyway, — how his best friend carried his comatose body (when he should have left him, Cloud admitted to Lightning) while on the run from ShinRa, how he went against an army alone just to protect Cloud and their freedom, dying as a result and leaving the blond as his living legacy.

"So when Snow spilled his crap, I felt as if he was tainting Zack's memory," Cloud said, finishing his tale. "He was the true hero and Snow won't be like that, until he stops his idiotic stunts that put people in danger. Personally, I think he will never achieve this status, harsh as it sounds. "

Lightning didn't reply to it, but she shared his opinion. Zack was the true her and Snow was just a parody with his stupid antics.

What Serah ever saw in him? Only heavens knew. Love was strange like that.

Cloud interrupted the older Farron's train of thought by standing up.

"Well, we rested enough," he said, brushing the dirt off his clothes. "We should go before we attract more trouble. "

"Go, I catch up in a sec," Lightning stood up as well. Cloud nodded at her reply and went to rejoin the others.

As he left, Claire looked at the horizon, feeling foolish for what she was about to do. Zack was dead for a few years now and she wasn't sure he would hear her, yet here she was, about to thank him for saving Cloud, the man she loved.

Still, Lightning spoke, "I don't know if you can hear me, Zack, but… thank you for keeping Cloud save until the end."

And Claire wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but as the wind ruffled her rose-colored hair, she heard a cheerful voice of a man reply:

_Don't mention __it_.


End file.
